THERE’S no such thing as a free lunch – unless you’re a cheeky celeb, of course.
With thousands of social media followers and no shortage of self-confidence, stars often try to secure holidays, restaurant trips and even wedding photos without having to foot the bill.
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But it can often backfire spectacularly, with the likes of Stephen Bear, Dawn Ward and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle called out by wound-up fans.
After former Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley was slammed by a local bakery for requesting 100 cakes for her birthday bash in exchange for social media posts – which she denies – we explore the other cases of apparent shameless celeb scrounging.
Stephen Bear
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Disgraced Stephen Bear regularly boasted of his millionaire lifestyle – while he was really living in a dingy two-bed and laughably renting a Rolls Royce to show off for the cameras.
So it’s no surprise that the reality star, 33 – who is currently languishing in jail for sharing a secret sex tape with ex Georgia Harrison – tried his luck with brands whenever he could.
In 2017 he was ridiculed for begging for holiday essentials, writing in a post: “Going on holiday next week and need new beach clothes, sunglasses, bags, the lot. Please tag any brands.”
His cheeky request was met with a litany of fans making fun mocking him and calling him “tight” and “lazy”.
One angrily replied: “Fishing for freebies cause you don’t have any money and have p****d away all your reality TV money? Cause you don’t want to put in a decent day’s hard work ? Everything that’s wrong with today”.
Another hit back: “This makes me cringe. Why not try actually paying for the stuff you want instead of going on the beg?”
Fans were particularly ticked off considering the fact that the former Celebrity Big Brother contestant had just returned from a vacation in Miami.
Real Housewives of Cheshire
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With an estimated fortune of £42million, Dawn Ward isn’t exactly short of a few bob.
So when the 50-year-old and her fellow Real Housewives of Cheshire stars Rachel Lugo and Perla Navia were caught asking for free dinner and drinks, it’s no surprise it was laughed off as “embarrassing” by the put-out restaurant owner.
In a leaked email from 2019, a rep for the trio messaged upmarket wine bar Covino in Cheshire saying : “All ladies have a large following and would be able to promote the restaurant.”
Owner Chris Laidler said: “I just think it’s a shame that they have to operate like that really, abusing their position when so many young girls look up to them as role models.”
He added: “I’m working for peanuts, on my hands and knees scrubbing floors and would have been down around £300 for a few seconds of ‘advertising’ on Instagram – it’s just not on really.”
Gareth Gates
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Pop Idol sensation Gareth Gates really took the mic when he was caught asking for freebies from a bunch of bars in Birmingham.
The 39-year-old’s private messages requesting free drinks for him and his then-fiancee, Corrie star Faye Brookes, were leaked online in May 2019.
In them, he wrote: “Hi, Gareth Gates here. My self and my fiancé (Faye Brookes from Coronation Street ) are in Birmingham on Saturday.
“We’re looking for places to go and wondered if you could do anything for us in exchange for social media posts etc.”
The screenshot led to a barrage of criticism, with the Twitter user who leaked them saying: “A friend who runs a great bar in Birmingham just received this message from Gareth Gates. I am sure that he’s contacted a few industry people with a similar request.
He added: “Come on mate. You and your Mrs (from Corrie) can’t be that hard up, can you!!??? #freeloader.”
Jay Hutton
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In 2018, Tattoo Fixers star Jay Hutton was slammed for asking photographers if they could take pictures at his wedding in exchange for exposure.
A rep for Jay sent an email saying: “We are looking for a photographer duo (or photographer and assistant) that can take pictures of Jay’s special day.
The message added: “The promotional value of social media is second to none and something we charge a great deal for. In exchange for photographing the day, Jay will credit selected photos on social media to the photographer and their website.”
They also offered to cover travel and food for whoever would take up the offer.
Perplexed by the offer, the photographer who posted the message on Facebook retorted: “Matey from Tattoo Fixers wants wedding photos for a shoutout on Instagram. Banter.”
One Facebook user said: “Cheap very cheap… When he charges £100 ph for a tattoo I think he can afford to pay for wedding suppliers. Sadly someone will fall doing his wedding for social media exposure.”
Jay’s reps told the Daily Post: “Jay Hutton’s Management has received a number of offers to photograph his forthcoming wedding with varying degrees of terms including taking pictures in return for social media and endorsement use in return for access.
Biggs Chris
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Biggs Chris was loving life as an influencer after amassing 150,000 Instagram fans following his stint on Love Island in 2020.
Unfortunately, it backfired a year later when the 31-year-old’s agency approached MasterChef winner Simon Wood, trying to blag a free meal at his Manchester restaurant.
Biggs’ reps wrote in an email: “[Biggs] is coming to Manchester and I wanted to ask if you could arrange a complimentary dining experience for him and a guest this Friday 30th April?”
Simon, 47 – who won MasterChef in 2015 – was clearly unimpressed and took to Twitter to vent out his frustrations.
He wrote: “Some people are mind numbingly ignorant. After what hospitality has been through jokers like this are still savaging freebies in the name of influence Get in the bin….. scrounging insensitive fools….”
Biggs later recorded a video strongly denying he had any involvement with the request.
He said: “One, I don’t even know the agency that sent that right. Like, legit I don’t know, hands up.
“Two, I actually agree with this Simon dude, right. I get it. But he could have just replied back to the email and said no. Why post it? But he knew it would get some clout.
“And three, this is normal in England, where celebs or influencers or whatever go to a restaurant and in return get a free meal for promo.
“Let’s say I did go with Rebecca [Gormley, his then-girlfriend], right, and we posted it, and the guy got 50 other customers from that. He’s chilling. You get me.”
Users interacting with his and Simon’s tweets sided with the chef, telling Biggs he’d “missed the point”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are one of the most powerful couples in the world and reportedly have a combined net worth of nearly £47million.
But earlier this year, after the pair were blasted as “f***ing grifters” by a Spotify boss, a royal author claimed they were “scroungers” who are “constantly looking for freebies”.
According to Tom Bower, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tried to nab a free holiday mansion as well as make use of their host’s private jet.
Speaking to GB News, Tom said: “They are scroungers, the Sussexes. I heard this particular story which is extraordinary which is that [sic] Harry and Meghan were invited to this sun-kissed place by the beach, they were staying for a couple of days and arrived in the host’s private jet, as usual…
“They heard that someone else who was there was quite an interesting person and also had a beautiful house by a beach and Meghan went up to her and said, ‘let’s talk, let’s become friends'”.
Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, were also accused of asking US President Joe Biden to fly on Air Force One after the Queen’s funeral.